Hudsonville Christian School
By: Frances Putman
Hudsonville Christian School first opened its doors in 1917 in a little white schoolhouse on what is now School Avenue in Hudsonville , Michigan , a town of about 7,000 residents, not far from Grand Rapids .
" Hudsonville Christian School has a long history in the community of providing Christ-centered education for families who desire it," said Bob VanderLaan, administrative principal of the school. "We have maintained an excellent teaching staff and have had tremendous cooperation from our parents to maintain a quality program for the children of this community."
Over the years, the school has grown to include nearly 1,000 students in grades preschool through eight, many of whom come into Hudsonville from other nearby towns. An elementary school building, first constructed in 1950, has had seven additions over the years. The middle school facility, built in 1968, has had four. Until August of this year, the school still held some classes in the original elementary school building, first constructed more than 85 years ago. Before the addition was completed, this had been the school's first-grade campus.
"The first graders were located in an older building a block away and had to walk to the main school building for their music and gym classes," said Brian Kuhlman, project manager with Dan Vos Construction, the company that designed and built the school's newest addition.
Of course, this posed problems in inclement weather and led to many safety concerns. The new addition to the current elementary school eliminated the need for the older building, as well as several portable classrooms the school had been using. The addition finally allowed all elementary students to be located under one roof.
As part of the new addition, school leaders also wanted to improve safety at student drop-off and pick-up areas, improve the traffic flow and eliminate some parking concerns. Since the project would include constructing a new main entrance, an office suite was a necessary part of the addition, to allow office staff to be near the traffic hub.
The $1.4 million project, which began in the summer of 2004, took about a year to complete, with about eight months of actual construction time.
Brick was chosen for the school's exterior to match existing brick and stone. EIFS accent also was installed to match the existing building, where the 1960's-style windows had previously been replaced with more energy-efficient models. An EPMN membrane roof was installed, and terrazzo flooring was chosen for its durability.
To meet the current building code, fire separation walls were constructed between the existing building and the addition.
"Door and window penetrations in this wall were required to have special fire-rated treatments," Kuhlman added.
Two canopies adorning the entranceways-one in the new addition and one in the older part of the school-help blend the two sections and give a fresh look to the entire campus.
"(The canopies) are very attractive in our circle drive, and will also provide protection for the children when it rains," VanderLaan said.
He said Dan Vos Construction, with which the school had previously worked on other construction projects, worked closely with school leaders to find donations of materials and in-kind gifts to lower construction costs.
For schools considering a similar building project, VanderLaan suggests leaders realize from the start that the process takes a lot of time.
"It's really good to take time in determining design and placement of the building, by starting out with your ideals and goals and translating that into what can be done, realistically, to have a building that will meet the needs of the school," he said.
And, he added, it is important to use a collaborative process in planning for an addition, working with parents board and staff.
"Selecting the right contractor is extremely important," he said, noting it is best to find one the school can work with and trust for advice. "And one that will allow you to set a different direction on certain aspects of the building."
Christian leaders, he said, need to set goals and find ways to achieve them.
"From that point on, it takes day by day contact with contractors to meet the goals," he said.
For his part, Kuhlman says schools may find they save time and money by using a design/build firm, instead of choosing an architect and separate construction firm.
"It can translate into cost savings," he said.
He also suggests that school leaders carefully consider the materials that are chosen-being careful not to go with just what is least expensive.
"For example, the terrazzo flooring might be more expensive initially, but it will last much longer than other flooring choices," he said. "Keep your material selections durable, cost-effective and energy-efficient when planning your new school project, for long-term satisfaction.
For more than 50 years, Dan Vos Construction, www.danvosconstruction.com , has been providing building solutions for a wide variety of clients. Offering complete design/build, general contracting and construction management services, the company works with more than 120 clients each year.
Fast Facts
School : Hudsonville Christian School
Location : Hudsonville , Michigan
Number of Students : 970
Grades Served : Preschool through grade eight
Designer/Builder : Dan Vos Construction of Ada , Michigan
Project Goal : Bring all elementary-aged students into one location, improve safety at drop-off and pick up point and create a "special needs" classroom
Description of Project : Added a 14,800-square-foot addition to a 53,800-square-foot existing school. Project included adding 11 classrooms, an office suite and conference room and bathroom facilities. The project also included a new main entrance, with an upgraded drop-off and pick-up area for elementary students.
Cost : $1.4 million
Challenge : The school sits adjacent to a high school property, which is currently in use. However, plans are for Hudsonville Christian School to eventually purchase the high school property and use it for future expansion. One of the challenges was working with the layout of the building, designing toward the additional property while staying within the boundaries of the school's property and keeping the safety of students in both facilities in check.
